Trump and Obama: 2 sides of the same coin

For all those aghast at President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration, why are they not equally aghast at his role model?

Reasonable people can disagree on the merits of immigration policy — indeed, reasonable people who are immigrants disagree on immigration policy — but let's not pretend this power grab is unique to any presidency.

Remember what President Obama did in November 2014, when he was frustrated with Congress' inaction on immigration? With the stroke of his pen, he unilaterally tried to grant "deferred action status" — protection from deportation — to nearly 5 million people who are living in the U.S. without permission.

At the time he said, "There are actions I have the legal authority to take as president — the same kinds of actions taken by Democratic and Republican presidents before me — that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just."

Sound familiar?

But it turned out, because Obama was not a king, he lacked authority to go it alone. Just as we learned back in middle school, it is Congress — not the president — that makes laws, and it is the courts — not Congress or the president — that interpret those laws.

Said who?

Said a federal district court judge who slapped an injunction on Obama's plan and stopped it dead in its tracks. And then when Obama did not like that result and appealed, he lost again in a federal court of appeals.

Hmm, sound familiar?

Remember, in essence, Obama aimed to grant special protections to millions of people who were already in the United States. In contrast, Trump is aiming to prevent some people from entering the country in the first place.

Both faced court challenges and questions about the constitutionality of their executive orders.

But the point here is not to debate nuances of immigration or constitutional law. Rather the point is to expose the hypocrisy of too many on both sides of the aisle.

For all those now marching and protesting Trump's actions, where were you in 2014 when Obama acted without proper authority?

I am waiting.

And yes, this same analysis can be turned on the Republicans and asked of those aghast at Obama in 2014: Why are you now so willing to defer to Trump?